RELATIONS OF THE CRUSTACEA. 81 



own country the recent observations of Johnstone, Hailstone, 

 and Fleming, and the beautiful work of Mr. J. V. Thompson, 

 have shown that the subject is not neglected amongst us. 



The Crustacea, regarded under the diiferent relations ex- 

 hibited by their organization, ought unquestionably to oc- 

 cupy an elevated range in the annulose sub-kingdom. They 

 ought not, indeed, to be far removed from the Arachnida 

 and insects, which, like themselves, have a symmetrical body 

 incased in a hard corneous covering, performing the offices 

 of an external skeleton, and with articidated legs, eyes always 

 ai)parent, sexes distinct, &c. They are, however, evidently 

 much farther removed from the Annelida, in which the body 

 is destitute of true articulated limbs, the eyes wanting, and 

 the generation often hermaphrodite. These last, indeed, in 

 many respects inferior both to the Crustacea and Insecta, 

 seem to be more nearly allied to the intestinal w^orms and 

 Epizoaria. With respect again to the fishes, with which 

 they are vulgarly associated, their relations are very trifling 

 indeed*; but with the mollusca, especially such as the Ce- 

 phalopoda, there is much greater affinity, so that they might 

 naturally be placed after them in the series of animals ; but 

 as we find other mollusca, such as the Gasteropoda and Ace- 

 phala, still less perfectly organized, we should either be com- 

 pelled to introduce the Crustacea in the midst of them, or 

 to place the mollusca either after the entire group of annu- 

 losed animals, as the ancients did, or before the Crustacea, 

 as the more recent zoologists have done ; and this latter step 

 is confirmed by the observations of Latreille, w ho has proved 



* A celebrated zoologist recently requested a friend who was going' a 

 long sea-voyage, to bring him home all the fishes he could procure. 

 "Yes," was the reply, " I will catch you all kinds, from a whale to a 

 shrimp ; " neither of which, as every person acquainted with the slight- 

 est outlines of zoology M'ell knows, are fishes. This anecdote shows that 

 a little knowledge would not have been a dangerous thing, in this instance 

 at least. 



